Libraries - sign of community health

Libraries - sign of community health
Siskiyou Daily News: June 29, 2010 by Dr. Judy Broeckel

Health can be viewed as occuring at multiple levels. One could be a healthy individual, part of a healthy small unit like a family, and/or part of a healthy large unit like a nation.

In looking at big units/groups of people, some patterns emerge. Very poor nations/groups have a lot of certain types of health problems like parasites and starvation, and certain types of infections are more common.

Very wealthy nations/groups have the classic diseases that go with wealth: obesity, heart disease and cancer being examples.

The health of states or nations can be measured by more than just counting the number of people with certain diagnoses. Healthy states have vibrant economies, personal liberties, and busy, productive people.

One of the benchmarks of civilization is literacy. READ MORE !

. . . in other news:

Daily Kos: Finally! Someone goes after the Big Literacy Monopoly
Like me I suspect many of you are sick of public libraries and how they are constantly trying to improve communities, quality of life and literacy.

LosingLibraries.org - The Big (Awful) Picture
an effort to map and chronicle the full range of cuts, closings, and diminished library services nationally. From Library Journal in partnership with Mandy Knapp and Laura Solomon (responsible for SaveOhioLibraries.com).

CA & National Literacy Calendar: July 2010

California Literacy Calendar: July 2010

SCLLN

Literacy & Library Events & Conferences
- local, California and National -

visit

Southern California Library Literacy Network

for more information

Updates of Tutor Training Workshops Scrolling in Left Frame

Local and California Literacy Events: July 2010

Jul 6 -7pm: Learning Disabilities Parent Support Group – Culver City
Jul 7 -7pm: Learning Disabilities Parent Support Group – Sherman Oaks
Jul 10 -10am: Learning Disabilities Adult Support Group – Tarzana
Jul 17 -10am: Sensory Friendly Film: Despicable Me – AMCs Covina - S Diego
Jul 19+ Reading Institute - US Dept of Education – Anaheim
Jul 22+ Comic-Con International – San Diego
Jul 24 10:30am: Understanding Dyslexia w/ Bud Pues = Burbank Library
Jul 28 7pm: In The Heights Fundraiser - San Diego Council on Literacy
Jul 29+ National Storytelling Conference – Woodland Hills California

California – National – International: July 2010

Jul 2 National Literacy Day
Jul 4+ Correctional Education Assn. Conference – Little Rock AR
Jul 7+ Autism Society National Conference – Dallas TX
Jul 8+ Golden Kite Awards: Retrospective – Abilene TX
Jul 12+ IRA: World Congress on Reading – Auckland, New Zealand
Jul 15+ Conference of the Americas – Miami Beach FL
Jul 19+ Pacific Northwest Children’s Book Conference – Portland OR
Jul 23+ Sierra Storytelling Festival – Nevada City CA
Jul 28 + Storytellers of Canada Conference – St. John's, Newfoundland
Jul 29+ Center for Health Literacy Conference – Alexandria VA
Jul 29+ National Storytelling Conference – Woodland Hills California

San Diego Public Library - READ San Diego - Director looks back on success of adult literacy program: 5 years at the helm of READ/San Diego

Director looks back on success of adult literacy program:
5 years at the helm of READ/San Diego
Sign On San Diego: June 26, 2010 by Katie Steiner

Valerie Hardie describes her job as part traffic controller, part ninja assassin.

As literacy program administrator of READ/San Diego, an adult literacy program, Hardie keeps busy promoting the program, writing grants and reports, running the show.

And even though it can be an exhausting job, one that requires multiple cups of coffee every day, it is a job that Hardie wouldn’t trade for anything.

In August, Hardie will celebrate her fifth year as READ/San Diego’s director, a program she’s been with since its inception 22 years ago.

“It’s been an extraordinary journey,” Hardie said. “I still continue to feel very privileged to work in San Diego at a job I believe in, that I think is relevant more so now than any time.

“I see miracles happen in the workplace.”

During those 22 years, the program has helped more than 20,000 adults learn to read and write, Hardie said. Currently, 450 to 500 adults are enrolled in the program.

Plus, the program has become known locally, statewide and nationally for its work. Jose Cruz, CEO of the San Diego Council on Literacy, said much of the program’s success can be credited to its director’s longevity.

“It’s a reflection of Val’s passion for literacy and the dedication to the kind of work she’s been doing,” Cruz said. “You can’t buy the passion and you can’t replace the continuity.”

Back in 1988, when the program was in the developing stages, Hardie was a young library assistant at the San Diego Public Library. She had also worked as a tutor in the writing center at UCSD.

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Twenty-two years later, READ/San Diego has six full-time employees, three AmeriCorps volunteers and a permanent home behind the Malcolm X Library, 5148 Market St.

It also has more adults wanting assistance than it can sometimes handle. At any given time, the number of people waiting to be paired with a tutor is 80 to 150, Hardie said.

Last year, when the list had reached 150, the program had to suspend enrolling new students. Some people are left waiting for six months to a year.

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During READ/San Diego’s 20th annual tutor conference on June 12, at least 250 people, ranging in age from college students to retirees, spent their Saturday at the University of San Diego campus learning how to become better tutors. READ MORE !

2010 Reading Institute: Reading Comprehension, Early Learning

Reading Institute: Reading Comprehension, Early Learning
2010 Reading Institute: July 19 - 21
Anaheim, California
Ed.Gov Blog: May 11, 2010 by pkickbush

The Institute is part of ED’s strategy to support educators in providing high-quality literacy instruction and to assist state and local policymakers in developing effective, comprehensive pre-kindergarten to third grade literacy programs.

The focus of this year’s Institute is reading comprehension. And this year, for the first time, ED is partnering with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to offer a separate Early Learning and Development Strand at the Institute.

The Early Learning Strand will offer sessions on developmentally appropriate practices in language and literacy for children from birth to third grade, and on planning and building comprehensive early learning systems and infrastructure.

There is no registration fee for the Reading Institute and Early Learning Strand, and all federally funded grantees, educators, state and local decision makers, and other stakeholders in early learning are invited to attend. Registration is permitted through July 5, 2010.

CLICK HERE for registration, a draft agenda for the early learning strand, information on pre-conference webinars, and more.

Escondido Library & San Diego County Library - Libraries, hospital team up for reading program

ESCONDIDO: Libraries, hospital team up for reading program
Born To Read program aimed at dads this year
NC Times: June 17, 2010 by Rachel Hutman

The Escondido and Ramona libraries teamed up with Palomar Medical Center this week for an annual program aimed at getting more parents excited about reading to their children.

This year's Born to Read program, now in its 10th year, was aimed primarily at dads with newborns at the medical center in the days leading up to Father's Day on Sunday.

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"The program hopes to impress upon fathers the importance of being literate in an ever-changing society," said Josephine Jones, director of literacy services at Escondido Public Library.

The program was developed by the American Library Association as a way to persuade families to read more and to start their own home libraries.

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For more information about the Escondido Library's Family Literacy and Early Literacy programs, contact Robin Wright-Parker at 760-839-4272. A PDF copy of the Born to Read brochure is available at ALA. For more information about the Ramona Library, contact Slade at 760-738-2436. READ MORE !

Newport Beach Library - Annual Literacy Luncheon

Literacy Luncheon
Literally Speaking: Summer 2010
by Judi Treble, Adult Learner

I am a student at the Adult Literacy Program. My tutor Sandy Beckman asked me if I would like to go with her to the Literacy Luncheon fundraiser at the Radisson Hotel in Newport Beach on April 30, 2010.

Of course I wanted to go and share this special occasion with her. When I arrived at the luncheon I found the room was decorated with festive balloons and gift baskets for sale.

The fun part of the fundraising effort were the balloons were filled with a piece of paper with a gift written on it. You could purchase a balloon and the gift was worth more then the price of the balloon.

The speakers were Sonia Nazario and Maria Amparo Escandón. Sonia's book Enrique's Journey was about her experience riding on top of a train from Guatemala to the United States with illegal immigrant children trying to find their mothers who had left them at home while finding work in the United States.

Maria's book was González and Daughter Trucking Co. The story was about a child who grew up riding with her father in his eighteen wheeler truck from the time she was a tiny baby until she was in her early twenty's.

The speakers were interesting and easy to listen to. They spoke very well and were passionate about their causes. The lunch was delicious and the company had only one thing in mind, the importance of literacy for adults.

Photo credit: www.jsalasfoto.com

Library Advocacy Day Video Contest

Library Advocacy Day Video Contest

The American Library Association held a video contest for Library Advocacy Day. Videos were created and uploaded to Vimeo and tagged "library advocacy day."

ALA Day on the Hill is June 29: 11 am @ Upper Senate Park, Wash DC.

Winners were announced June 1, 2010.

First: Imagine from Joyce Valenza
Second: Baldwinsville Public Library from Julia E. Schult
Honorable Mention: Questions of the Heart from Rachael Harrington

You can also watch other entries @ Vimeo